Calochortus striatus

Alkali mariposa lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Alkali mariposa lily is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills and western Mojave Desert in alkaline meadows and moist creosote-bush scrub at elevations of 800 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this delicate lily produces white to lavender flowers with distinctive purple veining, 20 to 30 millimeters long, with irregularly toothed petals that are sparsely hairy near the nectary. Growing with slender stems 1 to 5 centimeters tall, it emerges from a base of leaves that typically wither during flowering. Its basal leaves measure 10 to 20 centimeters long, with 1 to 2 additional cauline leaves 6 to 8 centimeters in length. The fruit is an erect, linear structure 4 to 5 centimeters long, bearing flat, light yellow or tan seeds with a distinctive net-like pattern.

Habitat: Alkaline meadows, moist creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 800-1400 m

Bioregions: s SNF, w DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, Inyo, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.